A race with potential Equus Award pointers, the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes is one of South Africa’s top contests for two-year-old fillies.
Recent winners include such Equus Champions as All Is Secret and Along Came Polly, and the 2016 Thekwini Stakes looks sure to prove another fascinating clash of South Africa’s top 2yo fillies.

Final Judgement, Dawn Calling, Sail and Visuality (the first four finishers in the recent G2 Golden Slipper) will renew their rivalry in the R600 000 contest.

The Glen Kotzen trained Final Judgement showed plenty of courage to hold off a late flying Dawn Calling in the Golden Slipper, where just a short neck separated the two. Unfortunately Final Judgement has a shocking draw of 12 here, where as her rival is drawn at one. If Final Judgement can overcome the draw, she should go close once again but it will not be easy, and it is possible that Dawn Calling can reverse the placings and give trainer Duncan Howells yet another win in this race.

Sail, the progressive daughter Philanthropist, was putting her best foot forward late on the 1400m Golden Slipper when overcoming a poor draw. One of two in the race for trainer Dennis Drier, Sail should relish the step up to 1600m but has once again fared poorly with the draw –Sail jumps from a widish berth of 11.

Champion trainer-elect Sean Tarry has a strong hand in the Thekwini, with his trio of runners including the highly rated Safe Harbour, Golden Slipper fourth Visuality and Kahula. Safe Harbour, who has drawn wide at ten, is held in high regard and comes into the Thekwini off a comprehensive two length win over fellow Thekwini runner Oasis Queen. The latter should once again be held by Elusive Fort’s daughter Safe Harbour, although Oasis Queen does have a better barrier position. Riding arrangements suggest Safe Harbour could be the stable elect.

Talented Visionaire filly Visuality was slightly disappointing when a well held fourth in the Golden Slipper. She had previously run a cracking third to leading Equus Award contender The Secret Is Out in the G1 Allan Robertson Championship and is clearly up to competing at this level. She does have 2.9 lengths to find with Final Judgement and Dawn Calling, but is better drawn than Final Judgement and will jump from the two draw. Kahula, third of the Tarry runners, has been beaten in both her starts since making a winning debut and needs to show more to feature here.

Corne Spies, who has a formidable record with two-year-olds, will saddle impressive debut winner Bonne Vie, whose dam won the G1 SA Fillies Sprint. Sent off a 20-1 shot, Bonne Vie sauntered home in open company (the runner having run 14 previous times without winning!), but takes a big step up in class. The daughter of Lateral also has a poor draw of 14 to contend with, which will not make life easy for the Craig Zackey partnered filly.

Mogok filly Costa Da Sol is another to have a wide draw to contend with, and she was beaten last time out in a juvenile plate, while Mike Azzie will saddle the promising filly Querari Falcon. The latter, who could be the dark horse of the race, having run second last time out, to the very promising Maleficent. An easy winner on debut, Querari Falcon defeated subsequent KZN Million winner Lunar Rush when successful first time out, and she could possibly give her red hot young sire Querari yet another feature success.

The likes of Chill Baby Chill, Golden Slipper seventh Fortissimus, recent maiden winner Hungry Heart, and Poster Girl have to improve to threaten the leading fancies.